Remarkable similarities of two pairs of stable and saddle canards in a van der Pol oscillator under extremely weak periodic perturbation

Canards are interesting nonlinear phenomena that have generated intense research interest since their discovery in the late 20th century. We are interested here in how canard-generating dynamics are influenced by extremely weak periodic perturbations that cause the formation of saddle-node bifurcations in the fundamental harmonic entrainment region. In a previous study, we discovered that another entrainment region exists within the fundamental harmonic entrainment region surrounded by the second saddle-node bifurcation curves. We found that two pairs of stable and saddle canards coexist in this second entrainment region under such weak periodic perturbation. Moreover, the stable and saddle canards are matched pairwise; i.e., each stable canard quite closely resembles a corresponding saddle canard. Calculation of the correlation coefficients of the four canards revealed two similar solutions on the order of 0.9999⋯ between the two pairs of similar canards. In contrast, the correlation coefficients of the dissimilar canards differ from unity in proportion to the difference between the given bifurcation parameter value and the parameter values at the saddle-node bifurcation points. Approximately, they take values from 0.998 to 0.975. These contrasts are noteworthy. Similar bifurcation phenomena were observed in the 1/2-subharmonic entrainment region. We hypothesize that the two pairs of stable and saddle canards are invariant with respect to a slight shift of time at the saddle-node bifurcation points, and we numerically prove that such a property approximately holds at the bifurcation points

Bifurcation scenarios for a 3D torus and torus-doubling

Bifurcation transitions between a 1D invariant closed curve (ICC), corresponding to a 2D torus in vector fields, and a 2D invariant torus (IT), corresponding to a 3D torus in vector fields, have been the subjects of intensive research in recent years. An existing hypothesis involves the bifurcation boundary between a region generating an ICC and a region generating an IT. It asserts that an IT would be generated from a stable fixed point as a consequence of two Hopf (or two Neimark–Sacker) bifurcations. We assume that this hypothesis may puzzle many researchers because it is difficult to assess its validity, although it seems to be a reasonable bifurcation scenario at first glance. To verify this hypothesis, we conduct a detailed Lyapunov analysis for a coupled delayed logistic map that can generate an IT, and indicate that this hypothesis does not hold according to numerical results. Furthermore, we show that a saddle-node bifurcation of unstable periodic points does not coincide with the bifurcation boundary between an ICC and an IT. In addition, the bifurcation boundaries of torus doubling do not coincide with a period-doubling bifurcation of unstable periodic points. To conclude, torus bifurcations have no relation with the bifurcations of unstable periodic points. Additionally, we exactly derive a quasi-periodic Hopf bifurcation boundary introducing a double Poincaré map

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Period-doubling cascades of canards from the extended Bonhoeffer–van der Pol oscillator

This Letter investigates the period-doubling cascades of canards, generated in the extended Bonhoeffer–van der Pol oscillator. Canards appear by Andronov–Hopf bifurcations (AHBs) and it is confirmed that these AHBs are always supercritical in our system. The cascades of period-doubling bifurcation are followed by mixed-mode oscillations. The detailed two-parameter bifurcation diagrams are derived, and it is clarified that the period-doubling bifurcations arise from a narrow parameter value range at which the original canard in the non-extended equation is observed

Chaos computing: a unified view

Chaos computing is a non-traditional new paradigm that exploits the extreme non-linearity of chaotic systems. This article presents a unified theoretical view of chaos computing. It introduces the fundamental concept and the unique features that are characteristics of chaos computing, and discusses various implementation approaches. Basic aspects of digital chaos computing to realise logical gates are introduced, followed by two specific techniques: (1) direct utilisation of the threshold mechanisms; (2) an application of the chaos neuron model. After presenting these approaches, we discuss general characteristics of digital chaos computing. Other digital, analog and digital/analog hybrid forms of chaos computing are also considered. Potential advantages of chaos computing include: high speed, low power and low cost, a general-purpose form of computing, re-configurable or dynamic logical architecture, implementation of continuous logic, robustness against noise, and parallel and distributed computing