1,236 research outputs found
Soliton approximation in continuum models of leader-follower behavior
Complex biological processes involve collective behavior of entities
(bacteria, cells, animals) over many length and time scales and can be
described by discrete models that track individuals or by continuum models
involving densities and fields. We consider hybrid stochastic agent-based
models of branching morphogenesis and angiogenesis (new blood vessel creation
from pre-existing vasculature), which treat cells as individuals that are
guided by underlying continuous chemical and/or mechanical fields. In these
descriptions, leader (tip) cells emerge from existing branches and follower
(stalk) cells build the new sprout in their wake. Vessel branching and fusion
(anastomosis) occur as a result of tip and stalk cell dynamics. Coarse-graining
these hybrid models in appropriate limits produces continuum partial
differential equations (PDEs) for endothelial cell densities that are more
analytically tractable. While these models differ in nonlinearity, they produce
similar equations at leading order when chemotaxis is dominant. We analyze this
leading order system in a simple quasi-one-dimensional geometry and show that
the numerical solution of the leading order PDE is well described by a soliton
wave that evolves from vessel to source. This wave is an attractor for
intermediate times until it arrives at the hypoxic region releasing the growth
factor. The mathematical techniques used here thus identify common features of
discrete and continuum approaches and provide insight into general biological
mechanisms governing their collective dynamics.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figure
Relativistic calculations of the lifetimes and hyperfine structure constants in Zn
This work presents accurate {\it ab initio} determination of the magnetic
dipole (M1) and electric quadrupole (E2) hyperfine structure constants for the
ground and a few low-lying excited states in Zn, which is one of
the interesting systems in fundamental physics. The coupled-cluster (CC) theory
within the relativistic framework has been used here in this calculations. Long
standing demands for a relativistic and highly correlated calculations like CC
can be able to resolve the disagreements among the lifetime estimations
reported previously for a few low-lying states of Zn. The role of
different electron correlation effects in the determination of these quantities
are discussed and their contributions are presented.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. submitted to J. Phys. B Fast Trac
Dynamic fibronectin assembly and remodeling by leader neural crest cells prevents jamming in collective cell migration
Collective cell migration plays an essential role in vertebrate development,
yet the extent to which dynamically changing microenvironments influence this
phenomenon remains unclear. Observations of the distribution of the
extracellular matrix (ECM) component fibronectin during the migration of
loosely connected neural crest cells (NCCs) lead us to hypothesize that NCC
remodeling of an initially punctate ECM creates a scaffold for trailing cells,
enabling them to form robust and coherent stream patterns. We evaluate this
idea in a theoretical setting by developing an agent-based model that
incorporates reciprocal interactions between NCCs and their ECM. ECM
remodeling, haptotaxis, contact guidance, and cell-cell repulsion are
sufficient for cells to establish streams in silico, however additional
mechanisms, such as chemotaxis, are required to consistently guide cells along
the correct target corridor. Further investigations of the model imply that
contact guidance and differential cell-cell repulsion between leader and
follower cells are key contributors to robust collective cell migration by
preventing stream breakage. Global sensitivity analysis and simulated
underexpression/overexpression experiments suggest that long-distance migration
without jamming is most likely to occur when leading cells specialize in
creating ECM fibers, and trailing cells specialize in responding to
environmental cues by upregulating mechanisms such as contact guidance.Comment: 46 pages, 7 figures (of which 2 are supplementary
Methodological concepts for integrated assessment of agricultural and environmental policies in SEAMLESS-IF
Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Land Economics/Use,
Winter and spring controls on the summer food web of the coastal West Antarctic Peninsula
Understanding the mechanisms by which climate variability affects multiple trophic levels in food webs is essential for determining ecosystem responses to climate change. Here we use over two decades of data collected by the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research program (PAL-LTER) to determine how large-scale climate and local physical forcing affect phytoplankton, zooplankton and an apex predator along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). We show that positive anomalies in chlorophyll-a (chl-a) at Palmer Station, occurring every 4-6 years, are constrained by physical processes in the preceding winter/spring and a negative phase of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Favorable conditions for phytoplankton included increased winter ice extent and duration, reduced spring/summer winds, and increased water column stability via enhanced salinity-driven density gradients. Years of positive chl-a anomalies are associated with the initiation of a robust krill cohort the following summer, which is evident in Adelie penguin diets, thus demonstrating tight trophic coupling. Projected climate change in this region may have a significant, negative impact on phytoplankton biomass, krill recruitment and upper trophic level predators in this coastal Antarctic ecosystem
The Economic Resource Receipt of New Mothers
U.S. federal policies do not provide a universal social safety net of economic support for women during pregnancy or the immediate postpartum period but assume that employment and/or marriage will protect families from poverty. Yet even mothers with considerable human and marital capital may experience disruptions in employment, earnings, and family socioeconomic status postbirth. We use the National Survey of Families and Households to examine the economic resources that mothers with children ages 2 and younger receive postbirth, including employment, spouses, extended family and social network support, and public assistance. Results show that many new mothers receive resources postbirth. Marriage or postbirth employment does not protect new mothers and their families from poverty, but education, race, and the receipt of economic supports from social networks do
Combined CI+MBPT calculations of energy levels and transition amplitudes in Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr
Configuration interaction (CI) calculations in atoms with two valence
electrons, carried out in the V(N-2) Hartree-Fock potential of the core, are
corrected for core-valence interactions using many-body perturbation theory
(MBPT). Two variants of the mixed CI+MBPT theory are described and applied to
obtain energy levels and transition amplitudes for Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr
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