4,007 research outputs found
Identification of delays and discontinuity points of unknown systems by using synchronization of chaos
In this paper we present an approach in which synchronization of chaos is
used to address identification problems. In particular, we are able to
identify: (i) the discontinuity points of systems described by piecewise
dynamical equations and (ii) the delays of systems described by delay
differential equations. Delays and discontinuities are widespread features of
the dynamics of both natural and manmade systems. The foremost goal of the
paper is to present a general and flexible methodology that can be used in a
broad variety of identification problems.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure
Inhibition causes ceaseless dynamics in networks of excitable nodes
The collective dynamics of a network of excitable nodes changes dramatically
when inhibitory nodes are introduced. We consider inhibitory nodes which may be
activated just like excitatory nodes but, upon activating, decrease the
probability of activation of network neighbors. We show that, although the
direct effect of inhibitory nodes is to decrease activity, the collective
dynamics becomes self-sustaining. We explain this counterintuitive result by
defining and analyzing a "branching function" which may be thought of as an
activity-dependent branching ratio. The shape of the branching function implies
that for a range of global coupling parameters dynamics are self-sustaining.
Within the self-sustaining region of parameter space lies a critical line along
which dynamics take the form of avalanches with universal scaling of size and
duration, embedded in ceaseless timeseries of activity. Our analyses, confirmed
by numerical simulation, suggest that inhibition may play a counterintuitive
role in excitable networks.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling hampers the vasopressin-dependent stimulation of myogenic differentiation
Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) promotes muscle differentiation, hypertrophy, and regeneration through the combined activation of the calcineurin and Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK) pathways. The AVP system is impaired in several neuromuscular diseases, suggesting that AVP may act as a physiological factor in skeletal muscle. Since the Phosphoinositide 3-kinases/Protein Kinase B/mammalian Target Of Rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling plays a significant role in regulating muscle mass, we evaluated its role in the AVP myogenic effect. In L6 cells AKT1 expression was knocked down, and the AVP-dependent expression of mTOR and Forkhead box O3 (FoxO) was analyzed by Western blotting. The effect of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 was evaluated by cellular and molecular techniques. Akt knockdown hampered the AVP-dependent mTOR expression while increased the levels of FoxO transcription factor. LY294002 treatment inhibited the AVP-dependent expression of Myocyte Enhancer Factor-2 (MEF2) and myogenin and prevented the nuclear translocation of MEF2. LY294002 also repressed the AVP-dependent nuclear export of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) interfering with the formation of multifactorial complexes on the myogenin promoter. We demonstrate that the PI3K/Akt pathway is essential for the full myogenic effect of AVP and that, by targeting this pathway, one may highlight novel strategies to counteract muscle wasting in aging or neuromuscular disorders
The stability of adaptive synchronization of chaotic systems
In past works, various schemes for adaptive synchronization of chaotic
systems have been proposed. The stability of such schemes is central to their
utilization. As an example addressing this issue, we consider a recently
proposed adaptive scheme for maintaining the synchronized state of identical
coupled chaotic systems in the presence of a priori unknown slow temporal drift
in the couplings. For this illustrative example, we develop an extension of the
master stability function technique to study synchronization stability with
adaptive coupling. Using this formulation, we examine local stability of
synchronization for typical chaotic orbits and for unstable periodic orbits
within the synchronized chaotic attractor (bubbling). Numerical experiments
illustrating the results are presented. We observe that the stable range of
synchronism can be sensitively dependent on the adaption parameters, and we
discuss the strong implication of bubbling for practically achievable adaptive
synchronization.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figure
Complex Dynamics and Synchronization of Delayed-Feedback Nonlinear Oscillators
We describe a flexible and modular delayed-feedback nonlinear oscillator that
is capable of generating a wide range of dynamical behaviours, from periodic
oscillations to high-dimensional chaos. The oscillator uses electrooptic
modulation and fibre-optic transmission, with feedback and filtering
implemented through real-time digital-signal processing. We consider two such
oscillators that are coupled to one another, and we identify the conditions
under which they will synchronize. By examining the rates of divergence or
convergence between two coupled oscillators, we quantify the maximum Lyapunov
exponents or transverse Lyapunov exponents of the system, and we present an
experimental method to determine these rates that does not require a
mathematical model of the system. Finally, we demonstrate a new adaptive
control method that keeps two oscillators synchronized even when the coupling
between them is changing unpredictably.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures. To appear in Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A (special
theme issue to accompany 2009 International Workshop on Delayed Complex
Systems
Network synchronization of groups
In this paper we study synchronized motions in complex networks in which
there are distinct groups of nodes where the dynamical systems on each node
within a group are the same but are different for nodes in different groups.
Both continuous time and discrete time systems are considered. We initially
focus on the case where two groups are present and the network has bipartite
topology (i.e., links exist between nodes in different groups but not between
nodes in the same group). We also show that group synchronous motions are
compatible with more general network topologies, where there are also
connections within the groups
Out-of-Plane Seismic Response of Unreinforced Masonry Walls: Conceptual Discussion, Research Needs, and Modeling Issues
Modeling unreinforced masonry walls, subjected to seismic loads applied normal to their plane, has received much attention in the past. Yet, there is a general lack of conformance with regard to what aspects of seismic response a computational model should reflect. Boundary conditions are certainly an important aspect, as the response can involve two-way bending or just one-way bending and, in the second case, along vertical or horizontal directions. In this respect, flexural restraint of wall intersections can be significant in addition to size and placement of openings. Moreover, in-plane damage can modify the boundary conditions and the overall out-of-plane performance. Proper modeling of actions is also relevant, as they can be a result of distortions imposed upon wall elements and/or inertial forces along the span of a wall. Axial forces can markedly affect the out-of-plane response of the wall, particularly vertical compressive forces, which can enhance out-of-plane strength. The outcome of static verifications can be more conservative than that of dynamic analyses, but the latter are much more complex to carry out. These topics are discussed with reference to previous research, observations in the field and in the laboratory, as well as numerical analyses on three-dimensional models.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Dentin Exposure after Tooth Preparation for Laminate Veneers: A Microscopical Analysis to Evaluate the Influence of Operators’ Expertise
Background: To assess the quantity of dentin exposure detected by 3 operators with different clinical expertise for 2 designs of tooth preparation for laminate veneers: window (WI) and butt joint (BJ). Methods: 20 intact maxillary central incisors were collected and then prepared for laminate veneers to a depth of 0.6 mm, with a cervical mini-chamfer finish line of 0.3 mm. Each prepared tooth was analyzed by 3 operators with different expertise: undergraduate student (ST), general practitioner (GP), and prosthodontist (PR), at sight under magnification. Besides descriptive statistics (CI 95%), 2-way ANOVA and Games–Howell tests were used to analyze differences among groups (α = 0.05). Results: The means of percentage and area of detected dentin exposure were WI = 30.48%, 21.57 mm2; BJ = 30.99%, 21.97 mm2; ST/WI = 22.82%, 16.44 mm2; GP/WI = 58.05%, 40.64 mm2; PR/WI = 10.55%, 7.63 mm2; ST/BJ = 28.99%, 20.83 mm2; GP/BJ = 40.56%, 28.32 mm2; PR/BJ = 23.42%, 16.75 mm2. Significant differences were found between ST/WI vs. GP/WI (p = 0.005) and GP/WI vs. PR/WI (p < 0.001). Conclusions: There was no difference in detection of exposed dentin among operators with different expertise for BJ preparation, whereas differences were found between the general practitioner and the other 2 operators in WI. Moreover, the quantity of exposed dentin was not related to different tooth preparation designs
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