82 research outputs found
Scale-free networks are not robust under neutral evolution
Recently it has been shown that a large variety of different networks have
power-law (scale-free) distributions of connectivities. We investigate the
robustness of such a distribution in discrete threshold networks under neutral
evolution. The guiding principle for this is robustness in the resulting
phenotype. The numerical results show that a power-law distribution is not
stable under such an evolution, and the network approaches a homogeneous form
where the overall distribution of connectivities is given by a Poisson
distribution.Comment: Submitted for publicatio
Self-organized critical neural networks
A mechanism for self-organization of the degree of connectivity in model
neural networks is studied. Network connectivity is regulated locally on the
basis of an order parameter of the global dynamics which is estimated from an
observable at the single synapse level. This principle is studied in a
two-dimensional neural network with randomly wired asymmetric weights. In this
class of networks, network connectivity is closely related to a phase
transition between ordered and disordered dynamics. A slow topology change is
imposed on the network through a local rewiring rule motivated by
activity-dependent synaptic development: Neighbor neurons whose activity is
correlated, on average develop a new connection while uncorrelated neighbors
tend to disconnect. As a result, robust self-organization of the network
towards the order disorder transition occurs. Convergence is independent of
initial conditions, robust against thermal noise, and does not require fine
tuning of parameters.Comment: 5 pages RevTeX, 7 figures PostScrip
Self-organization of heterogeneous topology and symmetry breaking in networks with adaptive thresholds and rewiring
We study an evolutionary algorithm that locally adapts thresholds and wiring
in Random Threshold Networks, based on measurements of a dynamical order
parameter. A control parameter determines the probability of threshold
adaptations vs. link rewiring. For any , we find spontaneous symmetry
breaking into a new class of self-organized networks, characterized by a much
higher average connectivity than networks without threshold
adaptation (). While and evolved out-degree distributions
are independent from for , in-degree distributions become broader
when , approaching a power-law. In this limit, time scale separation
between threshold adaptions and rewiring also leads to strong correlations
between thresholds and in-degree. Finally, evidence is presented that networks
converge to self-organized criticality for large .Comment: 4 pages revtex, 6 figure
Topological Evolution of Dynamical Networks: Global Criticality from Local Dynamics
We evolve network topology of an asymmetrically connected threshold network
by a simple local rewiring rule: quiet nodes grow links, active nodes lose
links. This leads to convergence of the average connectivity of the network
towards the critical value in the limit of large system size . How
this principle could generate self-organization in natural complex systems is
discussed for two examples: neural networks and regulatory networks in the
genome.Comment: 4 pages RevTeX, 4 figures PostScript, revised versio
Nitrogen eutrophication particularly promotes turf algae in coral reefs of the central Red Sea
While various sources increasingly release nutrients to the Red Sea, knowledge about their effects on benthic coral reef communities is scarce. Here, we provide the first comparative assessment of the response of all major benthic groups (hard and soft corals, turf algae and reef sands-together accounting for 80% of the benthic reef community) to in-situ eutrophication in a central Red Sea coral reef. For 8 weeks, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations were experimentally increased 3-fold above environmental background concentrations around natural benthic reef communities using a slow release fertilizer with 15% total nitrogen (N) content. We investigated which major functional groups took up the available N, and how this changed organic carbon (C-org) and N contents using elemental and stable isotope measurements. Findings revealed that hard corals (in their tissue), soft corals and turf algae incorporated fertilizer N as indicated by significant increases in delta N-15 by 8%, 27% and 28%, respectively. Among the investigated groups, C-org content significantly increased in sediments (+24%) and in turf algae (+33%). Altogether, this suggests that among the benthic organisms only turf algae were limited by N availability and thus benefited most from N addition. Thereby, based on higher C-org content, turf algae potentially gained competitive advantage over, for example, hard corals. Local management should, thus, particularly address DIN eutrophication by coastal development and consider the role of turf algae as potential bioindicator for eutrophication.Peer reviewe
From synchronization to multistability in two coupled quadratic maps
The phenomenology of a system of two coupled quadratic maps is studied both
analytically and numerically. Conditions for synchronization are given and the
bifurcations of periodic orbits from this regime are identified. In addition,
we show that an arbitrarily large number of distinct stable periodic orbits may
be obtained when the maps parameter is at the Feigenbaum period-doubling
accumulation point. An estimate is given for the coupling strength needed to
obtain any given number of stable orbits.Comment: 13 pages Latex, 9 figure
Boolean Dynamics with Random Couplings
This paper reviews a class of generic dissipative dynamical systems called
N-K models. In these models, the dynamics of N elements, defined as Boolean
variables, develop step by step, clocked by a discrete time variable. Each of
the N Boolean elements at a given time is given a value which depends upon K
elements in the previous time step.
We review the work of many authors on the behavior of the models, looking
particularly at the structure and lengths of their cycles, the sizes of their
basins of attraction, and the flow of information through the systems. In the
limit of infinite N, there is a phase transition between a chaotic and an
ordered phase, with a critical phase in between.
We argue that the behavior of this system depends significantly on the
topology of the network connections. If the elements are placed upon a lattice
with dimension d, the system shows correlations related to the standard
percolation or directed percolation phase transition on such a lattice. On the
other hand, a very different behavior is seen in the Kauffman net in which all
spins are equally likely to be coupled to a given spin. In this situation,
coupling loops are mostly suppressed, and the behavior of the system is much
more like that of a mean field theory.
We also describe possible applications of the models to, for example, genetic
networks, cell differentiation, evolution, democracy in social systems and
neural networks.Comment: 69 pages, 16 figures, Submitted to Springer Applied Mathematical
Sciences Serie
Most Networks in Wagner's Model Are Cycling
In this paper we study a model of gene networks introduced by Andreas Wagner in the 1990s that has been used extensively to study the evolution of mutational robustness. We investigate a range of model features and parameters and evaluate the extent to which they influence the probability that a random gene network will produce a fixed point steady state expression pattern. There are many different types of models used in the literature, (discrete/continuous, sparse/dense, small/large network) and we attempt to put some order into this diversity, motivated by the fact that many properties are qualitatively the same in all the models. Our main result is that random networks in all models give rise to cyclic behavior more often than fixed points. And although periodic orbits seem to dominate network dynamics, they are usually considered unstable and not allowed to survive in previous evolutionary studies. Defining stability as the probability of fixed points, we show that the stability distribution of these networks is highly robust to changes in its parameters. We also find sparser networks to be more stable, which may help to explain why they seem to be favored by evolution. We have unified several disconnected previous studies of this class of models under the framework of stability, in a way that had not been systematically explored before
Size-resolved online chemical analysis of nanoaerosol particles: a thermal desorption differential mobility analyzer coupled to a chemical ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer
A new method for size-resolved chemical analysis of nucleation
mode aerosol particles (size range from  ∼ 10 to  ∼ 30 nm) is presented. The Thermal Desorption Differential Mobility Analyzer
(TD-DMA) uses an online, discontinuous principle. The particles are charged,
a specific size is selected by differential mobility analysis and they are
collected on a filament by electrostatic precipitation. Subsequently, the
sampled mass is evaporated in a clean carrier gas and analyzed by a chemical
ionization mass spectrometer. Gas-phase measurements are performed with the
same mass spectrometer during the sampling of particles. The characterization
shows reproducible results, with a particle size resolution of 1.19 and the
transmission efficiency for 15 nm particles being slightly above 50 %. The
signal from the evaporation of a test substance can be detected starting from
0.01 ng and shows a linear response in the mass spectrometer. Instrument
operation in the range of pg m−3 is demonstrated by an example
measurement of 15 nm particles produced by nucleation from dimethylamine,
sulfuric acid and water.</p
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