1,219 research outputs found
Spectral plots and the representation and interpretation of biological data
It is basic question in biology and other fields to identify the char-
acteristic properties that on one hand are shared by structures from a
particular realm, like gene regulation, protein-protein interaction or neu- ral
networks or foodwebs, and that on the other hand distinguish them from other
structures. We introduce and apply a general method, based on the spectrum of
the normalized graph Laplacian, that yields repre- sentations, the spectral
plots, that allow us to find and visualize such properties systematically. We
present such visualizations for a wide range of biological networks and compare
them with those for networks derived from theoretical schemes. The differences
that we find are quite striking and suggest that the search for universal
properties of biological networks should be complemented by an understanding of
more specific features of biological organization principles at different
scales.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
Chaos synchronization in networks of coupled maps with time-varying topologies
Complexity of dynamical networks can arise not only from the complexity of
the topological structure but also from the time evolution of the topology. In
this paper, we study the synchronous motion of coupled maps in time-varying
complex networks both analytically and numerically. The temporal variation is
rather general and formalized as being driven by a metric dynamical system.
Four network models are discussed in detail in which the interconnections
between vertices vary through time randomly. These models are 1) i.i.d.
sequences of random graphs with fixed wiring probability, 2) groups of graphs
with random switches between the individual graphs, 3) graphs with temporary
random failures of nodes, and 4) the meet-for-dinner model where the vertices
are randomly grouped. We show that the temporal variation and randomness of the
connection topology can enhance synchronizability in many cases; however, there
are also instances where they reduce synchronizability. In analytical terms,
the Hajnal diameter of the coupling matrix sequence is presented as a measure
for the synchronizability of the graph topology. In topological terms, the
decisive criterion for synchronization of coupled chaotic maps is that the
union of the time-varying graphs contains a spanning tree
Heterogeneous Delays in Neural Networks
We investigate heterogeneous coupling delays in complex networks of excitable
elements described by the FitzHugh-Nagumo model. The effects of discrete as
well as of uni- and bimodal continuous distributions are studied with a focus
on different topologies, i.e., regular, small-world, and random networks. In
the case of two discrete delay times resonance effects play a major role:
Depending on the ratio of the delay times, various characteristic spiking
scenarios, such as coherent or asynchronous spiking, arise. For continuous
delay distributions different dynamical patterns emerge depending on the width
of the distribution. For small distribution widths, we find highly synchronized
spiking, while for intermediate widths only spiking with low degree of
synchrony persists, which is associated with traveling disruptions, partial
amplitude death, or subnetwork synchronization, depending sensitively on the
network topology. If the inhomogeneity of the coupling delays becomes too
large, global amplitude death is induced
Mean field approximation of two coupled populations of excitable units
The analysis on stability and bifurcations in the macroscopic dynamics
exhibited by the system of two coupled large populations comprised of
stochastic excitable units each is performed by studying an approximate system,
obtained by replacing each population with the corresponding mean-field model.
In the exact system, one has the units within an ensemble communicating via the
time-delayed linear couplings, whereas the inter-ensemble terms involve the
nonlinear time-delayed interaction mediated by the appropriate global
variables. The aim is to demonstrate that the bifurcations affecting the
stability of the stationary state of the original system, governed by a set of
4N stochastic delay-differential equations for the microscopic dynamics, can
accurately be reproduced by a flow containing just four deterministic
delay-differential equations which describe the evolution of the mean-field
based variables. In particular, the considered issues include determining the
parameter domains where the stationary state is stable, the scenarios for the
onset and the time-delay induced suppression of the collective mode, as well as
the parameter domains admitting bistability between the equilibrium and the
oscillatory state. We show how analytically tractable bifurcations occurring in
the approximate model can be used to identify the characteristic mechanisms by
which the stationary state is destabilized under different system
configurations, like those with symmetrical or asymmetrical inter-population
couplings.Comment: 5 figure
Identification of plastic constitutive parameters at large deformations from three dimensional displacement fields
The aim of this paper is to provide a general procedure to extract the constitutive parameters of a plasticity model starting from displacement measurements and using the Virtual Fields Method. This is a classical inverse problem which has been already investigated in the literature, however several new features are developed here. First of all the procedure applies to a general three-dimensional displacement field which leads to large plastic deformations, no assumptions are made such as plane stress or plane strain although only pressure-independent plasticity is considered. Moreover the equilibrium equation is written in terms of the deviatoric stress tensor that can be directly computed from the strain field without iterations. Thanks to this, the identification routine is much faster compared to other inverse methods such as finite element updating. The proposed method can be a valid tool to study complex phenomena which involve severe plastic deformation and where the state of stress is completely triaxial, e.g. strain localization or necking occurrence. The procedure has been validated using a three dimensional displacement field obtained from a simulated experiment. The main potentialities as well as a first sensitivity study on the influence of measurement errors are illustrated
Discovering universal statistical laws of complex networks
Different network models have been suggested for the topology underlying
complex interactions in natural systems. These models are aimed at replicating
specific statistical features encountered in real-world networks. However, it
is rarely considered to which degree the results obtained for one particular
network class can be extrapolated to real-world networks. We address this issue
by comparing different classical and more recently developed network models
with respect to their generalisation power, which we identify with large
structural variability and absence of constraints imposed by the construction
scheme. After having identified the most variable networks, we address the
issue of which constraints are common to all network classes and are thus
suitable candidates for being generic statistical laws of complex networks. In
fact, we find that generic, not model-related dependencies between different
network characteristics do exist. This allows, for instance, to infer global
features from local ones using regression models trained on networks with high
generalisation power. Our results confirm and extend previous findings
regarding the synchronisation properties of neural networks. Our method seems
especially relevant for large networks, which are difficult to map completely,
like the neural networks in the brain. The structure of such large networks
cannot be fully sampled with the present technology. Our approach provides a
method to estimate global properties of under-sampled networks with good
approximation. Finally, we demonstrate on three different data sets (C.
elegans' neuronal network, R. prowazekii's metabolic network, and a network of
synonyms extracted from Roget's Thesaurus) that real-world networks have
statistical relations compatible with those obtained using regression models
Atomic-scale confinement of optical fields
In the presence of matter there is no fundamental limit preventing
confinement of visible light even down to atomic scales. Achieving such
confinement and the corresponding intensity enhancement inevitably requires
simultaneous control over atomic-scale details of material structures and over
the optical modes that such structures support. By means of self-assembly we
have obtained side-by-side aligned gold nanorod dimers with robust
atomically-defined gaps reaching below 0.5 nm. The existence of
atomically-confined light fields in these gaps is demonstrated by observing
extreme Coulomb splitting of corresponding symmetric and anti-symmetric dimer
eigenmodes of more than 800 meV in white-light scattering experiments. Our
results open new perspectives for atomically-resolved spectroscopic imaging,
deeply nonlinear optics, ultra-sensing, cavity optomechanics as well as for the
realization of novel quantum-optical devices
Editorial of Special Issue of National Identities: Alevism as an ethno-religious identity: Contested boundaries
No abstract for editorial but this is the opening paragraph:
This special issue on Alevism and trans/national Alevi identity critically engages with the relationship between religion, ethnicity and national identity. The core issues are as follows:
• how ethnicity and religion are conceptualised for a relatively invisible ethnic group in different national contexts;
• how religion and ethnicity intersect when Alevism is both a faith and an ethnic identity, especially when conceptions of that identity are contested;
• how identity is shaped through state policies within different national policy contexts and how etic definitions of minority communities are constructed by the state or other agencies with the power to impose them on the community in contrast to the emic or self-definitions of Aleviness from within the Alevi community;
• how despite the fragmented, heterogeneous nature of Alevi communities, there is also a sense of a single, transnational imaginary community, at least for the purposes of political assimilation/integration and activism;
• how education and other arenas of political, religious and cultural engagement at local, national and transnational levels create the possibilities, both positively and negatively, for future action/policy to situate minority ethnic communities
Second-harmonic generation from coupled plasmon modes in a single dimer of gold nanospheres
We show that a dimer made of two gold nanospheres exhibits a remarkable
efficiency for second-harmonic generation under femtosecond optical excitation.
The detectable nonlinear emission for the given particle size and excitation
wavelength arises when the two nanoparticles are as close as possible to
contact, as in situ controlled and measured using the tip of an atomic force
microscope. The excitation wavelength dependence of the second-harmonic signal
supports a coupled plasmon resonance origin with radiation from the dimer gap.
This nanometer-size light source might be used for high-resolution near-field
optical microscopy.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Modeling Brain Resonance Phenomena Using a Neural Mass Model
Stimulation with rhythmic light flicker (photic driving) plays an important role in the diagnosis of schizophrenia, mood disorder, migraine, and epilepsy. In particular, the adjustment of spontaneous brain rhythms to the stimulus frequency (entrainment) is used to assess the functional flexibility of the brain. We aim to gain deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying this technique and to predict the effects of stimulus frequency and intensity. For this purpose, a modified Jansen and Rit neural mass model (NMM) of a cortical circuit is used. This mean field model has been designed to strike a balance between mathematical simplicity and biological plausibility. We reproduced the entrainment phenomenon observed in EEG during a photic driving experiment. More generally, we demonstrate that such a single area model can already yield very complex dynamics, including chaos, for biologically plausible parameter ranges. We chart the entire parameter space by means of characteristic Lyapunov spectra and Kaplan-Yorke dimension as well as time series and power spectra. Rhythmic and chaotic brain states were found virtually next to each other, such that small parameter changes can give rise to switching from one to another. Strikingly, this characteristic pattern of unpredictability generated by the model was matched to the experimental data with reasonable accuracy. These findings confirm that the NMM is a useful model of brain dynamics during photic driving. In this context, it can be used to study the mechanisms of, for example, perception and epileptic seizure generation. In particular, it enabled us to make predictions regarding the stimulus amplitude in further experiments for improving the entrainment effect
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